Professor at a record-young age

Professor Ilona Riipinen at the Department Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), is the youngest person appointed to a professorship at Stockholm University in the 21st century.​

Ilona Riipinen, ACES. Photo: Eva Dalin

In the middle of December, the Vice-Chancellor decided to promote Ilona Riipinen from the Department Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES) to Professor of Atmospheric Science from 1 January 2017. A month later, in the beginning of February, Ilona turned 35 years old, which makes her the youngest person promoted or appointed to a professorship at Stockholm University in the 21st century.

Ilona completed her doctorate at the University of Helsinki in 2008, after which she was a postdoc in the US for two years before gaining a position at Stockholm University in 2011. She was awarded an ERC Starting Grant around the same time, and later she became a Wallenberg Academy Fellow. For the past six months or so, she has also been in charge of about 35 members of staff as Head of the Atmospheric Science Unit at ACES.